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"id": 193376,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/193376/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Munya",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for East African Community",
"speaker": {
"id": 279,
"legal_name": "Joseph Konzolo Munyao",
"slug": "joseph-munyao"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Budget Speech. It had very many good proposals, especially the proposals on creating employment. It talked about measures intended to create many jobs for young people who have been victims in the set-up of our economy. The measures or proposals are far-reaching to the whole infrastructure for the country to spur economic growth and, especially measures to employ more teachers. We have been having a lot of problems in our schools. We have had problems in the health sector because of lack of personnel. We have not had money to employ nurses. All these measures were good, but one of the most disappointing things is that there was nothing in the Budget to help the tea farmers who have been suffering for many years. Interesting enough, you heard the Question that was asked before this House and the answer that was given. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there has been no concrete plan by this Government to assist tea farmers who have been the backbone of our economy for very many years. When the tourism sector collapsed in this country, it was the tea farmers that the Government relied on to raise money to be able to support its programmes. When many other sectors in the economy collapsed, it was the tea sub-sector that was left to support the Government. Nobody thinks about tea farmers. If you make a visit to my constituency, you will find that tea farmers pick tea only once a week. The rest of the tea goes to waste. This is because there is no capacity in our factory at Michimikuru to process all the tea that is available. When we ask to be assisted to get a loan to build a factory so that we can process all the tea, nobody listens to us. Here are farmers who are able to grow their tea. All they want is to be assisted to build a tea factory which will help them process their tea, but nobody wants to listen to them. If you go to KTDA, they tell you that you must be able to raise enough collateral to get a loan to be able to build a factory or expand the factory. However, we have seen the Government coming in for other farmers! If it is wheat farmers, the Government would say, \"Let us remove these taxes for them.\" If it is importers of wheat, the Government would say, \"Let us remove these taxes so that wheat can come here quickly.\" The Government thinks that farmers are those who only grow maize and rice. Those are the only 1252 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 18, 2008 farmers that this Government thinks about. Where we are heading to, and these are warnings that the Government still does not seem to be keen on, is similar to what we saw in Othaya Constituency, where a certain farmer was cutting down his tea bushes. This is just the beginning. We will not blame the farmers. The prices of inputs are very high, especially that of the fertilizer. When the Minister was fumbling with the answer to a certain Question, he never came out clearly to say whether fertilizer will or will not be available to the farmers. He said that the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has been instructed to provide the fertilizer. But the NCPB caters for cereal farmers; it does not cater for tea farmers. All the inputs for tea farmers come through the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA). He never told us if there are any arrangements, or agreements, that the Ministry has worked out between the KTDA and the NCPB to be able to channel the fertilizer to the tea farmers. He did not even talk about the particular fertilizer, because it is not the fertilizer that is used by the cereals farmers that is also used by tea farmers. He had no answer to the Question. I am saying this, so that the House can see the gravity of the situation. If anybody is listening, they can also come in to aid the tea farmers. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the biggest problem with tea farming is the Kenya Shilling. The Kenya Shilling is strengthening against the Dollar. We have a very strong Kenya Shilling, which is a good thing for importers, those who want to get goods into the country. But when the Kenya Shilling becomes very strong exporters like tea farmers suffer, because the earnings they get after selling their tea go down. They get very little money. Competition has also come because many other countries are now growing tea. We are not the only tea exporting country. Many other countries, even neighbouring countries, are also growing tea. So, farmers are under pressure, because of a strong Kenya Shilling and the increasing cost of fuel. Many factories still use fuel. There is not enough wood fuel that they can use to be able to bring the cost of processing tea down. That, again, makes the cost of producing tea high. In addition, there is the issue of the cost of fertilizer which has gone up. This leaves the tea farmer vulnerable. In fact, if you talk to the farmers they are saying:\"There is no need of growing tea, because the cost of inputs will be higher than the price you fetch from your tea. So, who will you be growing tea for? Where will you be getting the money to put into tea growing, any way, if the inputs, harvesting and other things used for growing tea are so expensive?\" That is why many farmers are now thinking of uprooting their tea crop to grow other things. They can grow vegetables, bring them to the market and they will be able to get some money. But who will be the loser? It will be the Government, because tea still remains the biggest foreign exchange earner for this country. But the Government is not listening! Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wanted to start with that issue, so that the House can understand the anger of the tea farmers! They are feeling neglected by the Government. The Government depended on them. When the Government, probably, does not need them, much like it may need other people in the economy now, it does not bother about the tea farmers. Let me now go back to the Budget Speech---"
}